Gabbiagre-top



Y H. HAYES.

' Carriage-Top. No. 14.400. Patented Mal 11, "1856.

Witnesses:

O/WMW 4 I Inventor,

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

HENRY HAYES, OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS.

CARRIAGE-T OP.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 14,400, dated March 11, 1856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY HAYES, of Quincy, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Im proved Mode of Supporting Carriage-Tops; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,- reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 is a perspective View of part of the inside of a buggy with my improvement, showing the top fully extended; and Fig. 2, is an exterior view of the Same with the top in its half elevated position.

The object of my improvement is to provide a mode of sustaining a calash carriage top in a raised or extended position, without the use of the outside braces commonly applied for that purpose.

On the front bow (a) is the slat iron (6) which is at its lower end expanded into a circular plate (0) having a hole in its cen ter. The slat irons (d and c) of the two next bows are jointed, on to the plate (0) near its edge, and the slat iron (f) of the hinder bow, is jointed on to the next one to it (6) near its lower end.

(g) is the side of the carriage to which the standard or main prop (h) is firmly screwed. The pivot projects horizontally outward from the standard (it) and on it, the circular plate (0) revolves, being secured by a nut and washer.

In order to sustain the top fully extended, or in a half elevated position, two notches (7c and Z) are made in the plate (0) into which a latch (m) catches and thus holds the bows in either position. The latch works on a pivot (n) in the plate which holds the standard (71) to the arm of the carriage, and its inner extremity projects through the arm cushion, (which conceals the rest,) and is formed into a knob or other convenient shaped handle, by which the latch can be disengaged, and the top lowered at pleasure, without reaching outside. The latch is pressed into the notches on the plate a) by means of a spring (0) also afiixed to the standard When the top .is raised and fully extended as shown in Fig. 1, the latch falls into the notch (in) in the plate (0) and fixes the front bow in that position. The other bows being connected by means of the covering of the top assume their proper positions. When itis desired to throw the top back, the knob of the latch is pressed forward,-and its other end is thus disengaged from the notch (76), and the top falls until the latch catches in the notch (Z) which prevents the front bow from falling farther (as seen .in Fig. 2.) The position of the notch is such as to hold the bows so that they shall not bear on each other when the top is half down, and thus much rubbing and wear of the parts is obviated. On again disengaging the latch from the notch (Z) the top falls to its lowest position, the bows closing together and resting on the bearing prop (p). 011 raising the top the latch being self acting falls into the notches and sus tains the top either half or fullyelevated.

The construction of my improvement may be varied by using an open circle or half circle in place of the plate (0) in which case the notches may be made on the inside edge, and the latch made to move vertically instead of horizontally; and also the common slat irons may be used for the other bows. The latch we may be made .in the form of a pawl if found more convenient.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The plate or circle (0) having the slat iron of the front bow projecting from it, working on a pivot on the-standard (h), in in connection with a spring latch or pawl fitting into notches in the plate, by means of which the top of the carriage is sustained in an elevated or half elevated position,

Substantially as described.

HENRY HAYES.

Witnesses:

JAMES WOODRUFF, JOHN MURPHY. 

